Xenogears is odd. The gameplay isn't particularly... good, and the battle system is based around this elaborate combo system which adds absolutely nothing to the game. The story also is... a thing. But I definitely would recommend playing it, because it is important.

BFMusashi annoyed me with that steam tower chapter about to blow up -- the song was repulsive and played everwhere. I was thinking of playing this again though, but 3D PSX action RPGs play ragged at best.

Granstream... fucking weird ass title.

Guardian's Crusade had an awesome intro opening, I loved how 80s it sounded. But I honestly can't remmeber if it's good.

I second Suikoden and Wild Arms. Legend of the Dragoon is very slow, but if you can get past that little flaw then its actually pretty decent.Someone recommended SaGa Frontier, but I actually advise you to stay away from it. To this day it remains, in my memory, as the absolute worst jRPG I have ever played. That game makes Ephemeral Fantasia look like Xenoblade. SaGa Frontier 2, on the other hand, is pretty damn good.Breath of Fire 4 is also worth a mention, its quite possibly the best game in the series. Valkyrie Profile if you want something a little different. Last but not least, Chrono Cross. Its the Dr. Pepper of jRPGs, but I loved it.

SaGa Frontier is excellent fun, don't listen to this dude. It's a steep learning curve but it's an amazing romp once you get into it. I recommend starting as T-260G or Red first, they're pretty easy to run through as and give you a ton of mechs to play with, which are essentially easy mode in the beginning.

The only stuff I actually bought was all of the Final Fantasies, along with a few other choice games (lunar 1 and 2, chrono cross, arc the lad)

I actually also just orderd these games too - xenogears, vagrant story, alundra, grandia, parasite eve.

That's actually a pretty amazing list to start out with.

If you don't really care about physical vs. digital, there's stuff on PSN like Suikoden.

Of ones that I don't think have been mentioned yet that you should grab:

SaGa Frontier 2 (prefer it over SF1 personally)Legend of Mana (I think this is on PSN now)Threads of Fate (I think this is on PSN now as well)Breath of Fire 3 & 4KartiaPersona 2 - Eternal Punishment Suikoden 2 (good luck getting it for less than a bajillion dollars)

I'm not saying Saga Frontier is necessarily bad.. but out of everything listed that certainly WOULD NOT be my first pick.... or 2nd or 3rd for that matter.... though I will say I adored the art direction.....

how are wild arms 1+2? another long running series i have not played yet

I was in the same boat as you not too long ago, having let this series slip past me... let me tell you what, although these titles foster some acclaim, I don't feel they get near enough.. They are familiar enough as JRPGs to scratch that "classic" itch with enough originality by way of the puzzles and dungeons to really keep you going. After playing game after game after game, you start to feel as though you know what your in for and always challenged in the same ways over and over again.... As such, Wild Arms came into my life and was a total refresher reminding me great gameplay and design coupled with a decent (although not stellar narrative) equates to a freakin' great game that doesn't have to go out into left field to feel like a very original experience.

My advice though, if you haven't played all this stuff listed here is to go for the Suikoden series. Suikoden 1 was a bit unbalanced in the sense that with the right characters in your party, the game can prove ridiculously easy.... But half the fun for me was discovering those character combos that really let me stick it to the enemies. The narrative sets up for Suikoden 2 beautifully and makes that experience all the better. Without getting into anything else, on all RPG fronts I found Suikoden to totally rise above mediocrity and enter the realm of completely awesome in many respects. It is original, has a great narrative and soundtrack, a wonderful cast and just too many good points to be a "bad" or "mediocre" game... In other words with suikoden 1 and 2 is VERY safe to say you won't regret your experience.....

.... Now in a completely subjective sense, I would definately second the Breath of Fire suggestions that have been presented here as well... I am probably the only one who liked 3 more then 4 but both were great to me and well worth playing. In any event, its just plain-jane solid JRPG goodness here..... But I am a Breath of Fire whore and loved the first 2 which many people did not so I could be bias, which is why my first suggestion to you is Suikoden or Wild Arms if thats seems more appealing to you.

After those I would head into Xeno, Star Ocean 2, Grandia and Valkyrie Profile. Those three are all really great titles but each are great for their originality in different respects that place them sort of outside the realm of your standard stuff.

Lastly, I want to mention "Thousand Arms" as my obscure title suggestion to look into for the future.... I know not many people talk much about it or like it.... and I myself don't have enough experience with it to say either way yet, though it is sitting on my shelf beggin for a play-through. But it looked interesting enough in a real odd-ball sense to catch my attention..... In fact, if anyone here has experience with it, I myself would love to hear it.

EDIT: I made a boo-boo and wasn't mindful of what it was you orderred already. Plus completely neglected to mention in my top suggestions.... Lunar 1 and 2 are quite possibly my favorite PS1 RPG's period. But they are not for everyone.... They are very straightforward and typical, but also very well done. I would actually place the Lunar suggestion above my others if you are looking for a very "standard" experience and classic fantasy narrative that is well told enough to keep you hooked.

« Last Edit: June 21, 2012, 05:59:54 PM by Klyde Chroma »

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In this world is the destiny of mankind controlled by some transcedental entity or law? is it like the hand of god hovering above? Perhaps Man has no control even over his own will…

Maybe early on during annoying fights like the first one against Ramus where due to Miang's heals and untargetability and Ramus's occasional use of his obnoxious counter attack stance the use of combos was actually useful instead of completely unnecessary like it is during the rest of the game.

Or are you guys referring to deathblows in which case; eh, they're pretty similar.